The Bonds of Friends
by Himitsu no Tokumei
Summary: AshxTory. While relaxing, Ash get a surprise visit from Rayquaza. The Deoyxs have been captured and Tory is trying to find a way to free them. But the Team Rocket compound is riddled with dangers, dangers that could kill them, or bring them closer.
1. Chapter 1: Trouble Brews

This was a request fic given to me around 6 months ago. The person asked I didn't give their name, but I wanted to apologize to them because of how long it took. I wish I could get out of this writer's block so I could type in my ongoing fanfictions.

This is an AshxTory fic, both are age 12. Not a pair I readily support, but I don't see it as an impossibility and I do find it kinda cute. I hope you enjoy the fic.

**I do not own Pokemon :'(**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Trouble Brews<strong>

The sweet breeze was pleasant to his nose. It smelled strongly of pine and honeysuckle and mountain stream, wafting over him like a thick blanket and bringing with it a slightly cool sensation that was more than welcome on that particularly warm day. The small, yellow Pokemon was lying down beside him in the grass, long ears pointed towards the top of the small knoll they were resting on. Resting his head on his hands and staring up at the sky with lidded eyes, Ash drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, enjoying the relaxing time alone with his partner.

"Piiikaaa…" Pikachu breathed, imitating its trainer and friend.

Lazily rolling his head to the side and opening one eye, he looked at the electric mouse for a moment before he started laughing. Right on cue, Pikachu laughed as well and they both flipped themselves up into a sitting position.

The meadow rolled out before them, tall grass waving sluggishly in the refreshing breeze. Pokemon from several continents all seemed to congress there. There were Pidgey and Starly sharing the skies with bug Pokemon like Ledian and Beautifly. Heracross and Scyther and Lombre appeared every now and then among the tall strands, and a few fire pokemon like Growlith and Ponyta sprinted in the shorter grass farther from the two friends. Some of the braver ones cautiously approached the twelve-year-old, a Poochyena actually licking his hand and startling him, his sudden movement then causing it to scurry away several feet until he managed to coax it back with a piece of bread.

Slowly getting up and brushing the bit of dirt and grass from his clothes, Ash extended his arm to the Pokemon who had traveled all over the world with over the last couple years. With an enthusiastic "Pika!" the small Pokemon leapt up his arm and to its customary perch on his shoulder.

"Man, I'm hungry," the boy complained, stretching his arms above his head and laughing as his stomach accentuated his declaration with a low growl.

"Pika…" Pikachu agreed, rubbing one little paw on its rumbling tummy and dropping its ears and tail.

"Yeah, I know, you're hungry, too," Ash chuckled, playfully ruffling Pikachu's ears. "Don't worry, we have plenty of food back at…" he trailed off as he stared at the Munchlax dipping through their pack. "Hey, get out of that!" Ash yelled, running down the hill and tripping over something—it might have been a rock, a gnarled patch of grass, his own feet, or maybe just thin air—he wasn't quite sure what. The impact sent Pikachu flying right into the small, blue Pokemon, the two tumbling end over end until they stopped with Munchlax on top of the yellow mouse. Food was strewn out over the grass between the two and the disheveled pack, the three just staring at it for several moments before they all scrambled for it as quickly as possible. Munchlax reached some first, snatching up an apple and showing it in its mouth. Pikachu was next, tackling a package of chips the afore mentioned was trying to steal. Ash was the last to reach the mess, nabbing up the two struggling Pokemon and holding them apart from each other. Both watched the crinkled bag fall, somewhat dumbfounded over the fact that they were no longer on the ground. "Come on, Pikachu, there is no need to fight," Ash chuckled, shifting his attention to the big eater Pokemon.

"And as for you," he said, placing Pikachu on his shoulder, "there is no need to steal anything. If you just asked I would have let you eat with us." The Munchlax looked down as if ashamed, and Ash felt safe with putting the small Pokemon down. The instant its feet touched the ground, though, Munchlax ran back to Ash's pack and grabbed up an armful of food and scuttled away. Pokemon and trainer looked at each other for a moment before sighing and making their way to see what food escape the pilfering.

After an appetizing late lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, the two made their back to the open field, this time with their bag in tow. Ash figured their uninvited guest had taken around three-fourths of their food, which accounted for about four days worth. Neither of them wanted to cut their vacation short, so instead of simply relaxing on the hill again they set about looking for bushes they could get berries from and trees that produced fruit. After a couple minutes of minutes the two had made a game out of it, racing and tripping each other and trying to find more food first. Pikachu had the home advantage, being a Pokemon and all. It was not only more agile than its trainer, but could also ask its fellow Pokemon for help.

Falling flat on his face, Ash looked from the Ekans wrapped around his legs to the electric mouse rolling around a laughing hysterically. "Ha ha, very funny," he said, unamused and resting his face on his knuckles. After a very short moment he kicked his feet out of the snake Pokemon's grasp and tackled his partner, tickling its side until Pikachu's laughter became bolts of electricity. The shock was enough to loosen his grip momentarily and let Pikachu. Recovering fast, the last years of electric shocks giving him a near immunity to it, Ash scrambled to his feet and took off after the fleeing mouse again.

By the time the sun started to set both of them were tired from all the running and laughing. Eyelids feeling heavier than lead, Ash could barely get his sleeping bag rolled out and inside it before he fell asleep, Pikachu lying exhausted over his neck.

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><p>A loud roar woke the two friends up out a dead sleep. Instantly sitting up (and throwing Pikachu halfway across the clearing they were in), the young trainer looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the startling noise. It roared again, both Ash and Pikachu perking up a bit at it; they recognized that roar.<p>

Snatching up his bag, leaving his messy sleeping bag behind, Ash scooped up Pikachu as he passed the small yellow Pokemon and continued running out towards the meadow. Shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight, Ash searched the sky for the Pokemon he suspected to be there somewhere. A flash of green drew his eyes left, but it was gone before he got there. Swinging around quickly he tried to locate it again, but the Pokemon seemed to have vanished.

Then, not too far from him, the loud roar issued again, knocking him down as the green, dragon-like Pokemon descended to hover above the land right in front of him. "Rayquaza," he breathed, taking in the full glory of the Legendary Pokemon. Still sitting on the ground, he looked at the sky for Rayquaza's two companions, the master trainer having last seen the dragon-like Pokemon in the company of the two Deoyxs. "Where are Deoyxs?" he asked.

Rayquaza roared in reply, twisting and flying around him several times. Pikachu responded with a few chirps, the legendary roaring back in reply. After a couple rotation it stopped in front of Ash again, body leading away from the preteen but head turned back to look at him.

"Pikapika!" Ash's companion hollered, sprinting towards Rayquaza and pointing at it. "Pikapika, Pikachu! Pi, pika, pika-pi!"

"Does he want us to get on his back?" Ash asked, kind of confused as to what the legendary Pokemon was thinking.

"Pikapika!" Pikachu cheered, nodding its head vigorously and running back to its trainer. Climbing right up Ash's leg and back, it perched itself on his shoulder as the boy carefully climbed onto Rayquaza's back. Holding on tight to the top of the plate, he nodded kind of nervous to the large head looking back at him, and instantly felt the strong wind on his face. Twisting and curving up above the clouds, the ride became less hazardous as soon as they reached altitude and Rayquaza flew straight. Gripping with his legs, Ash even dared let go of the armor plate for a moment to put on a pair of gloves to keep the chill air from freezing his hands.

"Pikachu, did he say what happened to Deoyxs?" Ash yelled over the howling wind.

"Pi…ka," the electric mouse replied, nodding its head while hiding its face in its trainer's back.

"Are they alright?" he asked, shielding his face with one hand.

"Pi…ka," Pikachu replied, shaking its head this time.

Frowning at the thought, he didn't ask any more. He couldn't speak with Pikachu (making him kind of wish he had taken up Riley's offer a year before to train him in his powers), and there weren't really many more yes or no questions he could think of to ask the little Pokemon. Rubbing one arm at a time to make sure he kept a good grip on the legendary Pokemon, Ash silently cursed the fact that it had been warm enough to wear a t-shirt. He could only hope that they'd land soon and he'd get answers to the question tearing at the back of his mind; what happened to the Deoyxs?

At first it seemed like the clouds were parting, then Ash realized they were descending again. Rayquaza started twisting again, heading for what looked like a small splotch of land on a great blue canvas; an island. As they got closer he could see a city growing on the small spit of land, large steam stacks and factory-looking buildings puffing large amounts of smoke into the air. Having just come from a luscious forest, the sight was awfully sickening. There were no Pokemon visible in the polluted water near it, and bird Pokemon gave it a very wide birth; the latter of which he would soon find was for a completely different reason. Roaring loudly, Rayquaza sent a blast at the horrid place, his attack stopping harmlessly on a very familiar-looking barrier. He then proceeded to descend to the small strip of land standing just outside the barrier, and to the small, silver-haired boy waiting at its perimeter.

"Tory!" Ash yelled as he jumped off his ride, coming up right in front of the boy before he remembered his manners and turned back to thank Rayquaza for carrying him there. "What is going on here?" he asked, peering through the smog to look at the buildings. That logo looked familiar, too, but why couldn't he quite place it.

"I came to this area because we were picking up readings similar to Deoyxs," Tory explained, absently patting the head of the red and yellow Pokemon on his arm. Its partner, Minun, was currently in a similar position as Pikachu, one small arm wrapped around Tory's head to steady itself on his shoulder. "When we got here (we meaning Tory, Plusle, and Minun) Rayquaza was already going on a rampage, attack the barrier around this place. It looks like they somehow managed to capture the two Deoyxs and are manipulating their power."

That's why the barrier looked familiar! He had seen it a couple years ago in La'rousse, when Deoyxs trapped them there. Then only for that logo… "Team Rocket!" he yelled suddenly, slamming his fist into his open palm. "Man, it's been so long since I've had to deal with them. I can't believe it slipped my mind."

"What are you talking about, Ash?' Tory inquired, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"The logo on the buildings is for Team Rocket," the older boy explained. "They were a bit of pain when I first started on my journey. I remember two, well, two and a Meowth, that were constantly after Pikachu. Their plans always failed, though, so I'm guessing this is different pair."

"I see," Tory said, looking sadly at Rayquaza, whose eyes seemed to be trying to burn a hole in the barrier.

"Has Rayquaza not been able to blast through the barrier this time?" Ash asked, eyes shifting between his silver-haired and the legendary Pokemon.

Tory shook his head, saying, "I'm afraid not. They're using the power from both Deoyxs', meaning the barrier is too strong. He's managed to open up a small hole, but nothing he can fit through.

"Could we?" the trainer asked, a solid spark lighting up his eye that made Tory almost have to take a step back. How long had it been since he'd seen that? It was back when they finally figured out how to calm Deoyxs down, when they figured knew what they had to do and all they had to do was do it. It was that look that kept his mind on the dark-haired trainer, and made his heart flutter slightly.

"Um, well, yeah, probably," he said, stumbling over his words as he tried to regain his composure. "But what exactly are we going to do once we get in there?"

"Set Deoyxs free, of course," Ash replied confidently, holding a fist close in front of him. He then threw his gaze back over his shoulder and said, "Rayquaza, we need you to give the barrier a really good blast close to the ground. If we can make it through we should be able to help your friends."

As if he understood, Rayquaza reared its head roared, gathering up energy for a blast.

"Ash, do you only have Pikachu on you?" Tory asked, pulling on Ash's sleeve and nervously waiting for Rayquaza to attack the barrier.

"Yeah, the rest of them are at Professor Oak's lab with Gary and the rest of my Pokemon," he said, that confident gleam not leaving his eye. "But don't worry, we'll be fine. We have Plusle and Minun with us, too."

Turning its focus back to the barrier, Rayquaza released the blast at the hated thing keeping it from its friends. "Now!" Ash yelled, grabbing the smaller boy's hand and dragging him forward. The blast hit and sent a wave of heat backwards towards the two, but Ash pushed them right through it. Leaping in feet first, he barely got all five of them through the barrier before it closed.

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><p>To be honest, I haven't see much of he Pokemon series. I have played several of the games, but other than some of the first season and a couple movies I haven't watched the anime. Team Rocket is the bad guy team I remember the most, so I put them in instead of one of the others. Plus it is one I think Tory would be less likely to know.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Revealed Feelings

Now I normally have my characters around age 15 or older, so writing it for 12-year-olds was actually a bit of a challenge. Not a bad one, I enjoyed it because it was out of my comfort zone, but that means I'm not entirely sure how well I did. I would appreciate any feedback you have for me. :)

**I do not own Pokemon :'(  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Revealed Feelings<strong>

Tory looked back at the enraged Pokemon, shocked into paralysis as he watched the last of the rift close. Taking two deep breaths, he quickly turned on Ash and socked him hard on the shoulder. "That was dangerous, you idiot!" he yelled as loud as he dared. Only when Ash looked back at him did he realize he still had the older boy's hand and quickly let it go, hoping the trainer wouldn't notice the slight blush on his cheeks.

"But we made it, didn't we?" he asked, a big, goofy grin on his face. "Now we need to find out where they are keeping the Deoyxs," Ash added, slinking around the large device they were hiding behind to see where the team rocket members were. He coughed a few times from the dense pollutants in the air, pulling his shirt over his mouth to quiet them, then noted the paths the guards took. Ducking back behind the structure as a spotlight swiveled around, he motioned for the still shaken Tory to come over to him.

"What bright idea do you have this time?" he asked, hands trembling slightly.

"We need to get from here, to there," Ash stated, pointing over to the door on the other side of the compound. Crouched down with one hand on the ground, he sprinted from behind his cover to another large machine after the light passed by again. Once sufficiently concealed, he waited a moment to motion Tory over. "We'll just go like this until we get there," he said, determined to make the plan work. Not nearly as confident as his companion, Tory nervously sprinted across the distance, shoving his back against whatever infernal device they were hiding behind once he safely got over there. Trying to catch his breath, he looked around to find Ash already planning their next move.

"Hmm," the dark-haired boy mumbled, looking from their destination, to Tory. Many might call him dense or stupid, but Ash was anything but. He realized that Tory would definitely have problems making the next, and he had no intention of putting the younger boy in danger. The mere thought of it made him sick to his stomach. He knew that by pulling Tory through the barrier he had put him in danger, but he also knew that the boy would want to help free the Deoyxs, so he would have to make sure Tory didn't get hurt. That would be more painful than an injury to himself.

"What are you thinking?" Tory asked, coming up next to Ash while he was lost in thought. He thought he saw the other boy jump a little, but it was probably his imagination.

"Just trying to figure out what to do," Ash replied, turning around and motioning for Tory to come look as well. "Do you think you can make that distance okay?"

Tory physically gulped. It was almost twice as far as the first gap they crossed. There was also a patrolling guard who seemed to look their direction more than he looked away and the spotlight passed by the area. "Yeah," he said, keeping most of the squeak out of his voice. Ash's glare portrayed a very clear message, don't lie. "Probably not…" he admitted, looking down.

"Don't worry about it," the trainer said, shaking his head. "Wait here while Pikachu and I go over there. We'll find a way to disable the spotlight and guard."

Tory was just as apposed of Ash waltzing into danger as Ash was of putting Tory in danger, but the scientist's son felt he had no way to control the trainer's action. "A-alright," he stuttered, leaning against the machine and sliding down to the ground.

"Don't worry," Ash assured, smiling broadly. "We'll be just fine." Giving Tory one last thumbs up, he surveyed the area a second before sprinting across the large gap. Tory watched as he said something to the electric mouse with him and the two split up, Pikachu climbing up a large metal scaffolding while Ash searched the ground for something. He picked up a lead pipe, a weapon Then, he moved around the side of his hiding place and out of Tory's sight. More than a bit worried, the boy crawled forward farther to try and find the Ash again. He shushed Minun when it made a bit of noise, continuing forward on his hands and knees.

"Who's there!" came an adult voice, and only then did Tory realize his mistake. In trying to find Ash again he accidentally moved too far out from his hiding place and was spotted. Scrambling to his feet, he ran towards where Ash disappeared as the guard moved towards him, the spotlight swinging around to light him up for a second before it fizzled out, to the guard's confusion. Not letting it affect him, he rushed towards his target. Panicking, Tory tripped, sprawling out on the hard ground still a few feet from the machine. Shaking as the man towered over him, Tory averted his gaze and covered his head, hoping that whatever he was going to do to him that it would be over quick.

No blows ever came. There was a semi-loud clunk, followed by a dull thud and a hand tugging at his arm. "Get up Tory," Ash said quickly, dropping the pipe as he pulled Tory to his feet. Plusle and Minun were soon back on their friend's back and Pikachu joined them by jumping onto Ash's head.

"Pikapikapika!" it said frantically, pointing towards the door they had been planning to enter. A small flood of Team Rocket members were coming from it now, summoning their growliths and zubats as they approached.

"This way!" Ash decided, grabbing Tory's hand and pulling him in a different direction. They had to find a way to lose the Team Rocket members, and find a way into the compound to help their friends. But with the enemy getting closer and closer by the second, that seemed like lost cause. Why did they have to have such short legs!

One of the growliths launched itself at the pair, landing on Tory's back and wrapping its strong jaws around Plusle's waist. Tory screamed as he approached the ground again and the little Pokemon squeaked in alarm as it was forcible lifted from its friend's back. Enraged that it's partner was being taken Minun tried to shock the growlith into releasing Plusle, but the nimble Pokemon easily dodged it and two more were grabbing up the blue and white Pokemon.

"Get them, Pikachu!" Ash hollered, holding his arm out for yellow mouse to jump out from. It's electric shock hit several Pokemon and people, but unfortunately Plusle and Minun's captors were not among them. And the tide just continued to set in on them. There just seemed to be no end, and soon they found themselves surrounded and separated.

In one last desperate attempt to get back to its trainer, Pikachu used thunder on whole area around it, bolts of electricity hitting both friend and foe. Ash stood over Tory to protect him from it, knowing that he could take it while the silver-haired boy most likely wouldn't be able to.

And then a bolt hit close to Ash, but not hitting him or Tory, and the ground gave way beneath their feet. Pikachu shouted in alarm as its friend suddenly vanished into the earth, and its momentary distraction led to its capture. "Should we follow them?" one grunt asked.

"No," a commander replied. "I don't know how far it goes, but I doubt they will survive it.

Ash and Tory bounced off several rocks on their way down, falling into what seemed to be an underground cave system. With how far they fell they should have died, but they were lucky; they were over an underground lake. The rocks slowed they enough that the water only knocked their breath away, which Ash was able to recover quickly. Surfacing, he looked around, growing more and more frantic when Tory didn't appear. Diving back under, he worked quickly to locate the younger boy and drag him to land. "Breath, Tory," Ash pleaded, checking and finding the boy wasn't. "You can't die on me, Tory, you just can't!" he yelled, placing both hands on the silverette's chest and starting chest compressions. Pinching Tory's nose, he placed his mouth over the other boy's and breathed into him. There was no response so he started again. The second and third times offered no response as well. Starting to feel discourage, he whispered, "Tory, I love you, so you can't die on me," before breathing into the boy the fourth time.

For a moment, it didn't seem to work. Then Tory started coughing and choking up water. The offending liquid gurgling in his mouth, Tory rolled over onto his side so he wouldn't choke on it a second time. Relieved to the point where his mind went blank, Ash sat idly behind the smaller preteen, absently patting his back in comfort.

"It's okay now, you're okay," the ravenette stated, calming down immensely. The fact that Pikachu was taken still weighed on his heart, but he knew he could get his Pokemon back. If Tory died… that'd be the end of it; there'd be no coming back. "It's okay…" he added quietly, collapsing and resting his head on Tory's side.

It took the silver-haired boy a moment to recover enough to speak. Lying there and bathing in the warmth given off by the body pressed up against his back, he stalled just as long as he dared before asking, "Did you really mean that?"

Confused, Ash asked in reply, "What do you mean? Of course everything will be okay. We'll get our Pokemon back and free the Deoyxs, I swear."

"Not that," Tory said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "When I was still… Before you got the water out of my lungs… you said… you know. Did you really mean that?" By the end of his disjointed speech Ash's cheeks had turned the color of fire.

"Y-you actually heard that?" Ash stuttered, scrambling back until his hit the cave wall. "L-look, I-I didn't mean it that way! I love you, b-but it's purely a fr-friendship type love! It's n-not, well, l-like that in any way."

By this time Tory had seen passed Ash's feeble attempts to cover his previous words and crawled forward until his face was just an inch from the older trainer's. "That's okay," he said, acting with confidence he did not possess. His heart was beating faster than a racing Rapidash, but if there was anything that the other boy had taught him it was that some things you just have to do. If he thought about it he would chicken out, so he just moved before his mind _could _think about it. The kiss was short and chaste, but it passed his feelings on perfectly. And when he pulled away the full weight of the situation they were in hit him and he fell into Ash's arms and cried.

A small, but somber, smile on his face, the trainer wrapped his arms around the boy in his lap. "We'll get them back," he stated.

"Yeah, I know," Tory cried, completely exhausted and at the breaking point.

Grabbing Tory's chin and lifting it so the young scientist had to look him in the eyes, Ash reiterated, "Everything will be alright. They won't think we survived that fall and if this tunnel can get us inside the compound that will be even more advantageous to us. For now, though, we should just rest. We will not be of any help if we're completely exhausted."

"But they still have Plusle and Minun and Pikachu!" Tory shouted feebly.

"And they will still be there to save in twelve hours," Ash replied, gripping Tory's shoulders. "Believe me, I want to go right now, too. But right now I need to rest and regain my energy. If we charge in now we will just be caught and then what help will we be to them?" Looking down, though whether it was out of shame or lack of energy Ash didn't know, Tory gave no more objections. Pulling the boy closer to him, Ash said, "We still have each other, and we will get them back. So for now just sleep."

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><p>I will be the first to admit, I put some pretty corny lines in this. But if you think of it from a twelve-year-olds pov, it makes sense, right? :P<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Routine

This is the final chapter for this story. I hope everyone who read it enjoyed it.

**I do not own Pokemon :'(  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Routine<strong>

Ash kind of wondered if he was better off after or before his nap. His entire body was stiff from the uncomfortable position he slept in, he didn't feel any more refreshed than before, and his arm was passed numb from Tory's head laying on it. They're predicament kept playing over and over in his head, and to be honest, he wasn't even sure they'd even find a way out of the cave system they found themselves in. If they did, he had no clue where it would exit at, and they could find themselves right in the middle of an entire battalion of Team Rocket Grunts.

Shaking the pessimistic thoughts from his head, Ash berated himself for becoming so negative in his old age. "If it was 2 years ago I'd never sink this low," he mumbles, shift his shoulder slightly to try and alleviate the pressure on it. The action stirred Tory from his slumber, and the silver-haired preteen stared up at him with lazy eyes. Then, suddenly remembering the events of the previous day (was it the previous day? Because in that dimly lit tunnel it was hard to tell how much time had passed), he jumped up and nearly tumbled back to the ground from the tingling sensation coursing through his legs.

"Hehe, now you know how my arm feels," Ash joked, trying to lighten the suddenly stifling air. "Except I don't even have that anymore," he jested, using his other hand to pick up his limp arm. Releasing it and letting the unusable limb fall to the ground, he carefully rose to his feet and walked over to the other boy. Resting his forehead on Tory's, his expression became a little darker. "Listen, to be honest, I don't know where this tunnel will let out. But I will make sure everything turns out alright." A little bit of sensation returning to his arm, he wrapping one around Tory's back and used the other to pull the younger boy's head into his shoulder. "We will get out of here with our Pokemon. I am not going to lose you right after I got you."

Shyly wrapping his arms around Ash's back, Tory buried his face in the older twelve-year-old's chest. "Can you promise me that?" he mumbled, squeezing the fabric in his hands. "Can you promise me we will get out of here, with Plusle and Minun and Pikachu and the Deoyxs?"

Hugging Tory back and petting his silver hair, Ash cooed, "I promise."

After giving Tory an encouraging, chaste kiss, the ravenette linked his fingers into the other boy's and proceeded to lead him down one of the tunnels leaving the underground pool. They could only go a short distance before what little light streaming into the cave system ran out. Feeling his way along the rough wall, Ash was determined to find his way out of the mess he had found himself in, and had pulled Tory in, too. The more he moved into the darkness, though, the more he realized just how difficult the task was going to be without any light, and almost as if it was on queue, a light flared into life. Startled my the sudden change and half-blinded, he turned around quickly to see the small device in his boyfriend's other hand. "S-sorry," Tory stuttered, aiming the light towards the ground.

"Don't be," Ash replied, smiling brightly and holding his hand out to ask for the item. "This will be very helpful." And it really was. There was quite a large boulder right in front of him, one he would have most likely tripped on had he continued to stumble through the dark. Stepping around it sheepishly, he added, "See? It was already helpful."

Ash was careful to direct the light away from any corner they came to. He would sneak up to it, making sure Tory stayed a few feet behind him for safety, and peer around it to make sure no one was on the other side. These caves seemed to go on forever, possible running the length and breadth of the island, so it seemed unlikely that Team Rocket didn't know about them. They had already been walking for a couple hours and they only seemed to be going into more darkness.

"Do you really think we'll get out of here?" Tory asked, fingers loosely entangled in the back of Ash's shirt.

"Some Pokemon had to have made these tunnels," Ash reasoned, slowing his pace ever so slightly. "Therefore, they have to come out somewhere, right? Even if it does happen to be outside the force field put up, we can just have Rayquaza burst in. In fact, it would probably be easier if it does—" he cut off suddenly, halting immediately and placing a hand over the silverette's mouth at the same time. If Tory was able to he would have asked what was wrong, but then he heard it too. Faint, as if far away and muffled like it was behind something solid, were the distinct sound of human voices. Two, maybe three, people were have a conversation of sorts, but the contents of which could not be discerned from where the two friends were hiding. Handing the light back to Tory, Ash peeked around the next corner, then motioned for the younger preteen to follow and disappeared around it.

There was a light shining around the next corner, illuminating the corridor they were in enough for Tory to turn his portable light device off. The voices grew louder the closer they got to the light, and soon they could pick up what was being said.

"Why must we be stuck here?" one man was saying, the click-clicks of a tapping foot accentuating his irritating. "I mean, last week we were "assigned" to cleaning the hallls! Why do we always get stuck with the sucky jobs?"

"Shh!" his partner hissed, followed by the sound of rapid footsteps. Ash could only guess, but he figured grunt number two was shutting up grunt number one. "If the overseer hears you're griping we might be put back with those mops and buckets, or worse. Do you want to be stuck mucking out the Tauros pens?"

"Geez! If there is something worse than what we're already doing then we'll be forced to do it sooner or later," grunt number one grumbled.

The two twelve-year-olds were at the corner now, and peered around to see a small stream of lighting flooding in from a crack in the wall. It was too small for an adult to fit through, but an adolescent could probably slip through with minimal effort.

"Hey, protected these tunnels is actually pretty important," the second grunt replied, agitated by his companion's complaints.

"Important how?" the first one retorted. "We're the only ones on this island now. We already sent all the native Pokemon that were here back to headquarters."

"What about those kids?" came the second grunt's reply. "They fell into a tunnel system when that Pikachu used thunder. They could possibly come by here."

A loud, exasperated sigh was the grunt's first response. Then he said, "Those kids are dead. There is no way they could have survived a fall like that. Stupid brats. Had they just let themselves be caught they would have been much better off. Now that Pikachu you were talking about. Guarding it would be a _real_ job. It's set to be shipped out tomorrow, right? Along with those other two."

"Yeah, I hear they're being kept in storehouse two right now," grunt number two answered.

All three of them heard the noise at the same time. It was a clink-clink, like the sound of a coin dropping on hard stone. Ash, who had been peering through the crevice, cringed a bit and pulled farther back into the shadows so as to not be seen. "What was that?" grunt number one asked, pushing off the wall and looking down the tunnel away from where Ash was hiding.

"It might be the kids," grunt number two replied.

"It ain't those kids," grunt number one growled, not taking his eyes off the dim passage. "But just in case, let's go check it out." Cautiously, the two Team Rocket adults left their camp fire behind and made their way into the tunnel.

A tap on Ash's shoulder made him jump, and he quickly turned around to find it was only Tory. "Come on, we should hurry before they get back," he said, pushing passed the ravenette and climbing through the break in the wall. Getting over his bewilderment, Ash quickly followed the smaller boy and moved almost practically noiselessly across the stone floor towards the main compound. The two grunts could not hear the lighter footsteps of the children over their own heavier ones.

"He said our Pokemon are being kept in storehouse two," Ash whispered, checking a hallway before he crossed it to look at a map on the wall. "And they are even kind enough to put a "You are here" dot on their maps," he chuckled, pointing to the little red marker. "Very helpful, aren't they?" Ash joked, trying to get Tory, his boyfriend (he would have to get used to calling him that), to laugh a little.

"Where are Plusle and Minun and Pikachu?" the boy asked, coming up a little more apprehensively.

"Well, if we are here," the Pokemon trainer started, placing his forefinger on the red dot, "and storehouse number two is… here. Then we go… this way." Pointing the way, Ash quickly took off in the direction he showed. He was probably going a little too fast, but it was only a couple junctions down. Still it would have been a good idea to slow down, for rounding the next corner he ran right into a member of Team Rocket. The guy was so confused that he couldn't react for several seconds. By the time he was reaching for his pokeball Ash had grabbed Tory and was busting through the door to storehouse two.

"Pika!" the electric mouse squeaked when he saw his trainer bust in, his voice muffled by the glass surrounding him. The other two Pokemon looked up at the sudden noise, perking up considerable and chittering when they say their friend.

The only problem was, the instant they entered the room the two preteens were completely surrounded. The guard outside had regained his composure and called his growlith; he was now blocking the door. There were two more guards and two scientists inside the room, all of which were now approaching them with golbats and magnimites. "Shoot!" Ash cursed under his breath, placing his back against Tory's.

"Pika! Pikapika!" Pikachu yelled, headbutting the glass. Shaking off the blow, he tried a second and third time, but to no better ends than the first one.

"I'm sorry, Tory," Ash said quietly. "This is not what I was had planned."

"_Pika!_" the little Pokemon yelled, this time using thunder.

"That didn't work the last five times you tried it, little guy," one scientist guffawed, tapping the small container with a knuckle. Pikachu didn't give up, though, and through pure determination he kept it up long enough for a loud pop to be heard throughout the room. All eyes turned to look at the large crack running down the glass that wasn't there before. A quick headbutt broke it, letting the fiercely loyal Pokemon free to protect its trainer. Down on all fours just two feet from Ash and smiling quite sadistically, Pikachu let loose another round of thunder. When the attack finally ended there were four unconscious people and five knocked out Pokemon on the ground.

Grinning contentedly, Ash strode over to the scientist. Pikachu once again took his customary perch on the ravenette's shoulder, glaring down at the man who had tapped so nicely on his glass. "Now, you will release Plusle and Minun or learn just how strong Pikachu is," he threatened. Scared out of his wits, the man scrambled to obey. The containers holding Tory's Pokemon lifted and the two quickly ran to him, rubbing their cheeks on his once they climbed to his shoulders. "Now, one more thing…"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is the right way?" Tory asked, rolling his eyes as they hit another dead end.<p>

"It has to be right around here," the trainer replied, backtracking and going for the next hallway. He quickly backed up, though, and took the door to his left instead. "Let's try here," he said, gulping as he opened it and found several people. But it was an observation room for one of the Deoyxs, though, so he didn't back out. "Pikachu!" he yelled, holding his arm out towards the men. His holler not only got the attention of the people in the room, but also that of those in the hallway next to it that he had avoided just a moment before. As Pikachu's attack went off, they rounded the corner with their Pokemon, only to come face to face with a determined Tory and his two friends. By the time Ash came back to help Tory had taken care of them.

"This should be the control room for Deoyxs' prison," the young scientist stated, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "Just give me a minute to figure out the controls on it and, oh… There," he said, typing a few keystrokes and pressing enter.

"Deoyxs shield, powering down," the computer said mechanically. "Warning, Deoyxs containment compromised. Reactivate Deoyxs shield."

The red and blue Pokemon from space looked up and through the glass at the two boys, what could possibly be a smile on its face; or what would have been a smile if it could. Throwing its energy in all directions, the whole island shook with a mighty tremor.

"I think it's mad," Ash said, a bit of fear in his voice.

"It's not mad, it's excited," Tory corrected. Then it released a second, different wave of energy that pulsed outwards like a nova flare and broke the glass. "Now it's mad," he said.

Turning to the two boys and their Pokemon, Deoyxs lifted them with its power and took off, racing through the compound. Outside the shield had weakened and Rayquaza rammed into a spot it had just shot. Just like in La'rouse, he managed to break through and rushed to the aid of his friends. Blasts of fire tore through the buildings. It crumbled the corridor in front of them, making Deoyxs have to fly up through the roof to continue. It stopped to light a greeting to Rayquaza, who just continued to destroy Team Rocket's facility, but when it turned around to continue towards its other half it found the second Deoyxs floating right in front of it.

"Rayquaza's blast must have freed it," Tory said excitedly, marveling at the light display the two Pokemon used to communicate. They seemed to agree on something, because they nodded then set off in opposite directions, stopping just long enough to deposit Ash, Tory, and their Pokemon on Rayquaza's back. The legendary Pokemon growled loudly, weaving around in the sky as it watched what the two Deoyxs were planning.

"I'd suggest you hold on tight once he really starts to go," Ash suggested, remembering his first flight on the legendary dragon Pokemon.

Tory was about to answer when he a very low rumble sounded below them. It grew louder as the Deoyxs poured more energy into their work, and then something physically visible happened; the ground caved in and part of the building sunk into the tunnels Ash and Tory had wondered through. "They're destroying the entire compound," Tory gasped, amazed at just how powerful the two Pokemon from space were.

"No, they're destroying the island," Ash correct, pointing to the part that was starting to flood. Within a few minutes the only reminders that Team Rocket had once been there were the Pokemon and lifeboats keeping the members afloat. "C'mon, let's go," he added, patting their ride affectionately on the neck. Growling one last time, Rayquaza took off.

* * *

><p>"This is where you have been?" Tory asked, sliding off the legendary's back and looking around at the vast wilderness around him.<p>

"Just for the last few days," Ash stated, patting Rayquaza in thanks. "I needed to just get away for a bit, to relax a bit. It was quite nice until Rayquaza showed up."

"I'm sorry we ruined your vacation," Tory said sarcastically, watching the three Pokemon leave to some unknown destination. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, Ash resting his face in the crook of his neck.

"Now it's perfect," he whispered.

Blushing, Tory turned to face the boy who had confessed to him, the boy he was now dating. He was about to say something when Pikachu pulled them together and made them kiss. Swatting embarrassedly at the electric mouse, who was now running away at full speed, Ash felt a bit of blood rush to his cheeks as well.

"I don't mean to ruin your perfect vacation, but I need to get back to La'rouse City," Tory said, disappointment obvious in his voice. Ash wasn't too thrilled with the idea either, not wanting to leave this wonderful place and afraid Tory might be intending to tell his dad.

"I have to tell my dad what I found out on the island," the silverette stated, and, noting Ash's apprehension, added, "And I will have to tell him about us. Don't worry, he already knows I like boys."

Feeling a little bit of weight lift from his shoulders, Ash asked, "Do you think we can stay here one night at least?"

* * *

><p>And no, they don't do anything bad. Ash just wanted to show Tory the amazing sunset from that secluded place.<p> 


End file.
